Optimism triumphs over sense at Plumpton in the New Year

I knew I was making a mistake but I was not alone amongst the cheerful optimists boarding the courtesy coach from Brighton Railway Station to Plumpton Racecourse for their popular New Year's meeting.
In common with every other passenger I said to the driver, "Still on?"
Dutifully, and with only a hint of resignation, he replied, "It was when I checked 20 minutes ago."
Some misguided folk even suggested it would have been preferable to have been sitting in the sun in Cape Town, watching Ben Stokes flay the South African bowlers to Table Mountain and back. No the South Downs are just as good a backdrop, and Castle Lager is horrible.
It had been raining steadily all morning in Brighton, but judging by the water in the fields around Plumpton Agricultural College it had been more than steady in East Sussex.
On arrival at the course, and having paid the £18 (on the day) entrance fee, the stewards announced that racing was on after a 'precautionary inspection.'
I am not sure what they inspected but it looked clear to most observers that conditions were pretty much unraceable. Cynics round the track were heard muttering that the determination to run the first race was in order to avoid giving a refund.
As it turned out 3 races were run swum, before the stewards finally bowed to the inevitable and abandoned the rest of the card. The lake which had continued to grow in front of the final hurdle proved to be the deciding factor.
There was only one thing left to do before catching the bus back - a consoling pint of Harvey's and dry out in the on course betting shop which, without a hint of irony, was showing bloody 'virtual' dog racing from 'Rainham Park'.